My neighbor told me to use a regular drill for mixing concrete and now my arm is killing me

I was pouring a small slab for a shed base last weekend, about 4 bags worth. My neighbor Frank, who always has an opinion, saw me getting ready and said, 'Just chuck the paddle in your cordless drill, it'll be fine, I do it all the time.' So I did. About two minutes into mixing the first bag, my DeWalt drill started smoking and the chuck completely seized up. The motor is totally fried. I had to finish the whole job by hand with a hoe in a wheelbarrow, and my shoulder feels like it's going to fall off. I'm out a good drill and learned the hard way that you need a proper mixer motor for that kind of work. What's the cheapest but decent mixer you guys would recommend for small jobs like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek7813d agoTop Commenter

I mean, Frank's lucky he didn't burn his house down. Those cheap Harbor Freight paddle mixers are like 40 bucks and they bolt right onto a cheap corded drill you don't care about.

blair_lewis8513d ago

Frank's whole setup is a fire hazard, and derek78 is right about those Harbor Freight mixers being the smart move.